But now, word out of Washington is that the gap between humans and robots is rapidly closing.

Due to the exponential increase in computer power - which doubles every two years - robots are becoming more human-like every day. Justin Rattner, Intel’s chief technology officer went so far as to predict that “machines could even overtake humans in their ability to reason in the not-too-distant future.”

Likewise, inventor and technology evangelist Ray Kurzweil provocatively asserts that robots will soon be able to pass the “Turing Test” - a test devised by the famed British father of artificial intelligence, Robert Turing - meant to determine whether or not a robot could successfully pass for a human.

The point at which robots and humans “merge” and become one is often and eerily referred to as “The Singularity.”